1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for opening oysters that employs a rotating housing or drum having an interior for containing a plurality of oysters and one or more projections or baffles placed within the interior. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for opening oysters that employs a rotating housing or drum having one or more projections or baffles configured to catch and hold oysters momentarily during rotation, each baffle dumping the oysters downwardly into the drum as the baffle reaches an upper portion of the drum, wherein the rotating action of the drum and baffles gradually loosens shells of each oyster, providing a gap that enables easy manual opening of the oysters after they are removed from the drum.
2. General Background of the Invention
An oyster is a bi-valve mollusk of the family Ostreidae. An oyster has an irregular shell that is closed by a single adductor muscle. The two part shell of an oyster is very tightly closed when the oyster is first harvested. In the past, oysters have been typically opened manually using a knife that is provided with a relatively blunt blade and a handle for gripping by the hand of a user.
Some machines have been patented, which disclose machines purported to open oysters. The following possibly relevant U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference:
TABLEU.S. Pat. No.TITLEISSUE DATE4,348,788Oyster OpenerSep. 14, 19824,617,734Oyster OpenerOct. 21, 1986D309,408Oyster OpenerJul. 24, 1990D358,307Easy Oyster OpenerMay 16, 19955,482,500Claim and Oyster OpenerJan. 09, 1996D404,978Oyster OpenerFeb. 02, 19996,785,967Clam and Oyster OpenerSep. 07, 2004D507,161Oyster OpenerJul. 12, 2005